Do You Believe Your Mirror?
Can any of us look at ourselves in the mirror and see what it truly reflects, without our prejudice altering the image there? Do we always focus on the negative and let our eyes go to the thighs that we perceive as too big, or the ‘balcony’ that is too small? Can any of us look in the mirror and see what the rest of the world sees?
Bridesmaid dress shopping seems to be an event where a group of gorgeous women get together, try on dresses and bash their bodies’ flaws. The last time I was a part of this exercise, I alone saw a group of exceptional women. They were too busy publicly tearing themselves apart to notice their youth and beauty. We have to change this view of ourselves.
In a well written essay, author Jessica Knoll talked about the poisonous relationship between the body she was taught to hate and the food she was taught to fear. In Smash the Wellness IndustryJessica articulates an argument that the ‘wellness industry’ is just another ploy by the dieting industry to make us feel fat and unattractive. While most nutritionist disagree with some of this assessment,(see Should We Smash the Wellness Industry?,for example), the underlying cause that feeds these industries seems to be our negative perception of ourselves.
In my book, The Curse of the Magic Mirror, I strive to teach children at a young age to see themselves as whole persons and look for their own true ‘beauty’–the good in themselves. We must make sure our values, shown by our actions, are not diminished or distracted by society’s preoccupation with being skinny enough, tall enough, or having clear, non-wrinkled skin. I want to encourage us all to educate ourselves on our food choices because the only thing that matters is being healthy. We have to treat our bodies to nutritious food and lots of movement. We are worth the effort.
© Jane F. Collen July 19, 2019 IndexCardCure.com™
